I lost my prescription sunglasses last week, and spent several hours on-and-off looking for them. Finally, I gave up the search and decided it was time to buy a new pair. That evening, they mysteriously turned up on the floor of my car. Once again, I was reminded that sometimes the best way to find something is to stop looking for it. The same sometimes goes for a job search.
Pressures of landing a job are so intense that we sometimes need to take a break. Guest poster Tim Conway sent me an article from The Miami Herald that suggests if you’re working harder looking for a job than you ever did in your last job, maybe it’s time for a break.
More often these days, the right opportunity comes from connections. Lauryn Franzoni, vice president of ExecuNet.com, says that her recruiting firm’s research shows only 20 percent of jobs available are advertised. The best places to learn about hiring, she says, are the golf course, basketball court, a book club or church meeting.
“Get involved in something you love and wish you had time for and use it as a way to meet others who can help you,” Franzoni says.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of stress associated with any job search. Circumstances driving urgency of landing a job include rent and mortgage payments, student loans and expiring unemployment benefits. However, if you’ve been searching non-stop for a job, don’t let guilt keep you from taking a break. You need to recharge your mental and physical batteries, and someone you meet might lead to the job you’re looking for.
Although I haven’t begun applying for full-time jobs, I was in a similar situation last year when I was looking for internships. I was applying to various internships and it was really taking a lot out of; instead of concentrating on school I was concentrating on finding a job.
Well when I finally took a break and did some networking, I was able to secure an internship at a nonprofit in DC, doing communications. So take it easy!
Ron – Some more sage advice, as always! I believe putting some mental and physical space between an incessant hunt is really healthy. Gravitating towards people and places you like and desire to spend more time with is a great suggestion. It helps focus on moving towards something great, instead of running away from something bad or toxic. And as the old saying goes, it’s often not what you know but who you know.